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MIND
Microbiology In Nuclear waste Disposal
Coordination: SKB
The MIND consortium
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15 partners from: research, performance assessment, social science 8 countries represented in the project Implementers Review Board: include WMOs, regulators and overseas contribution to the evaluation report
The MIND consortium description
MIND objectives
The objectives of the project
– are to target key technical issues, involving microbial processes, which must be addressed to facilitate safe implementation of planned geological disposal projects in the EU.
– will increase the understanding of how life processes will influence the safety and performance of future repositories, by focusing on key topics as defined in the most recent version of the IGD-TP strategic research agenda (SRA) (version July 14, 2011).
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• Microbially induced degradation – Corrosion of metal canisters
– Degradation of buffer, backfill and cement
• Gases – Production −
– Consumption +
• Migration – Mobilisation −
– Immobilisation +
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Main microbial processes
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Methanogens
Sulphate reducing bacteria
About 2 million SRB/ m3
will be introduced with the buffer.
Where are the microbes?
There are between 1 million and 1000 millions of cells per liter groundwater in the rock.
MIND organization
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Coordination team
WP1 WP2 WP3
Implementers’ Review Board
Project Executive Committee
WP4
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Work Package 1: Improving the geological safety case knowledge of the behaviour of organic containing long-lived ILW
Key Topic 2: “Waste forms and their behaviour”
Lead: NNL (UK, Joe Small)
Work Package 2: Improving the safety case knowledge base about the influence of microbial processes on HLW and spent fuel geological disposal
Key Topic 3: “Technical feasibility and long-term performance of repository components”
Lead: MICANS (Sweden, Karsten Pedersen)
Work Package 3: Integration, communication and dissemination
Lead: SCK•CEN (Belgium, Natalie Leys/Kristel Mijnendonckx)
Work Package 4: Project Management
Lead: SKB (Sweden, Birgitta Kalinowski/Petra Christensen)
Work Packages
WP1: Improving the geological safety case knowledge of the behaviour of organic containing long-lived intermediate level wastes
ILW disposal concepts
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Reduce uncertainty of safety-relevant microbial processes controlling radionuclide, chemical and gas release from long-lived intermediate level wastes (ILW) containing organics
• Key findings – First radiolysis + biodegradation studies of organic polymers;
• Cellulose, Bitumen, PVC, IEX resins
– Novel RN interactions – H2 consumption
• Sulfate, nitrate reduction
– CH4 generation • From cellulose/steel, pH 8 threshold, HS- toxicity • Absence from H2 injection ?
– pH limits of specific processes
• Further areas of study – In situ URL and waste simulant experiments
• Fate of organics • Waste simulant studies (e.g. GGE post mortem)
– Scale of heterogeneity (pH) – Methanogens vs SRB
• Competition for energy, trace elements • Sulfide toxicity
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Key findings and outlook
• Several studies relevant to upper pH limit – Nitrate reduction; PVC & Bitumen studies D1.2, D1.3, P7
– Cellulose studies D1.2, P1, P5
• Controls on Methanogenesis – pH, competition with SRBs, sulfide toxicity, thermodynamics, trace elements?
– TVO experiment D1.6, D1.8, P4, P10
– Mont Terri H2 injection D1.7
• Other toxicity effects – Cs P9 (Shrestha et al, 2018)
– Se D1.5, P2, P2, P8
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Limits on microbial life in an ILW repository
Increased methane generation
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Gas Generation experiment GGE, Olkiluoto (Small et al, 2017; Vikman et al, 2019)
Methanogenesis: pH 8 threshold
WP2: Improving the safety case knowledge base about the influence of microbial processes on and spent fuel geological disposal
European HLW disposal concepts
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Steel canister
Host rock
H2
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Bent
onite
Steel canister
H2
Host rock
Plug/seal
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French concept
Swiss concept
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sleeve
Scandinavian concept
Cu canister
H2?
Hostrock
Bent
onite
CH4 + H2
Backfill
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Plug/seal5
Cem
ent
Steel canister
H2
Host rockBelgian concept
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Plug/seal
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Backfill
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Plug/seal
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Backfill
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Plug/seal
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Backfill
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Swed-Finnish concept • Representation of
European high level waste disposal concepts (not to scale). Microbial processes are possible at the numbered points, which correspond to task numbers. 1. Microbial generation of sulphide in the geosphere 2. Microbially induced corrosion of canisters 3. Microbial activity in bentonite buffer 4. Microbial degradation of bentonite buffer 5. microbial activity in backfill and plug/seals
Images of extracted bacterial cells from non-spiked FEBEX clay sample B-C-60-18 after hydration
Viable (green fluorescence) and dead (red fluorescence) cells detected in the sample 10 (ring 2, layer 3) of 1400 kg/m3 bentonite
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Visualization of microbes in clay
• Key findings The MIND project has identified factors of importance for sulfide production in the
geosphere
• Energy sources, groundwater mixing, electron acceptors etc
Swelling pressure is an important limiting factor for microbial activity, but not for presence and survival.
The MIND project thoroughly confirms previously published and reported data that have shown microbes to be present in commercial clays as well as in compacted clay in laboratory and in field scale experiments.
Microbial activity may decrease pH in high alkaline repository barriers
Clay may act as a sink for sulfide
• Further areas of study – In situ URL and waste simulant experiments
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Key findings and outlook
Some research findings
Present data indicates that sulfate and methane may coexist in deep fluids, indicating that methane is not a very effective electron donor for microbial sulfate reduction.
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The microbial activity highly influences carbon steel corrosion under anaerobic conditions. The biofilm formation differed depending on the temperature (~20 and 35 °C).
Microbial activity is correlated with bentonite density, swelling pressure and its resulting water activity. Individual commercial bentonites have been shown to display varying effectiveness in mitigating microbial activity at similar densities.
Bentonite clays have a significant capacity for adsorption of sulfide.
Difference in reactivity between bentonites
WP3: Integration - Communication -
Dissemination
WP1
WP3
WP2
Final integration and synthesis
Perception of lay public and professional: waste disposal design with and without microbial processes by interviews, questionnaires
To distribute knowledge on general geomicrobiology and the outcome of the experimental work packages to a broad audience, including students, professionals, the scientific community, stakeholders and the lay community.
http://www.mind15.eu/exchange_table/
To enhance a cross-border dissemination of expertise for Master and PhD students and professionals
Exchange opportunities and conferences
http://www.mind15.eu/public-meetings/
Scientific papers (20 +)
Dissemination
WP4: Project management
Reporting
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MIND IN NUMBERS
• 661880 MIND-Project In almost 48 months, 15 organizations from 8 countries have managed to produce: • 52 Quarterly reports delivered to the Coordinators • 35 Deliverables (a few more to come) • 37 Milestones have been reached • 2 Periodic reports have been approved by the EC (the last one to come) • 6 Newsletters • More than 20 publications • 2 Advanced courses • About 20 WP-leaders’ meetings • 4 Project Annual Meetings
All to the cost of: EUR 4,160,234.50 (four million one hundred and sixty thousand two hundred and thirty four EURO and fifty eurocents) and in 490,50 (four hundred and ninty and a half) person months.
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Thank you!
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Thank you! Acknowledgement: This project has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014 - 2018 under grant agreement No. 661880